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Spinal Cord InjuryPhase 4NCT01567605

Bowel Care and Cardiovascular Function After Spinal Cord Injury

A Phase 4 study testing Lidocaine lubricant in people with Spinal Cord Injury, run by Simon Fraser University at 2 sites in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The main goal of this project is to determine the effects of lidocaine lubricant on cardiovascular function during routine bowel care in individuals with spinal cord injury. Bowel care is a common trigger of blood pressure and heart rate changes after spinal cord injury. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 19 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
Spinal Cord Injury
What is being tested?
Lidocaine lubricant
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
13 participants
Where
2 sitesCanada
Study dates
Mar 2012to Dec 2018
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 19 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • traumatic spinal cord injury at least one year ago
  • regular bowel care routine (at least four weeks)

Who cannot join

  • cauda equina or conus lesion
  • currently use ventilator
  • colostomy, or do not perform regular bowel care for any reason
  • any skin breakdown (pressure sores)
  • do not speak English
  • are under 19 years old
Show all 10Show fewer
  • are pregnant or think you might be pregnant
  • medical/psychiatric condition or substance abuse that is likely to affect your ability to complete this study
  • currently using medications containing lidocaine
  • allergy to lidocaine

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Canada2 sites
  • Simon Fraser University

    Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6

  • International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z1M9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

The main goal of this project is to determine the effects of lidocaine lubricant on cardiovascular function during routine bowel care in individuals with spinal cord injury. Bowel care is a common trigger of blood pressure and heart rate changes after spinal cord injury. In this project, we will be measuring blood pressure and heart rate non-invasively during normal bowel routine (which can be performed in the subject's home or at one of the investigators facilities). The measurements will occur twice over a period of 28 days: once using lidocaine lubricant and once using normal (placebo) lubricant. The recording equipment will be attached and subjects will have complete privacy during their bowel routine. The trial will be double-blind, meaning that neither the subject or the Nurse Continence Advisor who assists with testing will know which lubricant is being used for each test.

The use of a lubricant gel containing an anesthetic is the standard of care in many hospital facilities when performing bowel care for individuals with spinal cord injury; however, it is not often used in the home setting. It is thought that using anaesthetic might reduce the cardiovascular effects of bowel care after spinal cord injury. However, it is not known whether this is the case.

The investigators hypothesize that the lidocaine lubricant will alleviate some of the blood pressure and heart rate changes that occur during bowel care.

Read the detailed description

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of topical anesthesia on cardiovascular changes triggered by bowel care in people with spinal cord injury.

In people with spinal cord injury, episodes of high blood pressure are common during strong sensory stimuli such as those present during routine bowel care. These episodes of high blood pressure can be dangerous due to the magnitude of blood pressure increase and because they can be accompanied by irregular heart beats. This condition, known as autonomic dysreflexia, is most common in individuals with high-level injuries.

The experience of autonomic dysreflexia can vary widely between individuals: some have goosebumps, sweating, facial flushing or headaches, while others have no symptoms at all, despite their changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

The use of a lubricant gel containing an anesthetic, lidocaine lubricant, is the standard of care in many hospital facilities when performing bowel care for individuals with spinal cord injury; however, it is not often used in the home setting. It is thought that using anaesthetic might reduce the cardiovascular effects of bowel care after spinal cord injury. However, it is not known whether this is the case. We do not yet know the long-term consequences of these short-term elevations in blood pressure during autonomic dysreflexia, but given that they are often associated with discomfort, and have been known to be associated with more severe events such as stroke, it would be beneficial to reduce their occurrence.

Therefore, we will test whether lidocaine lubricant compared to a placebo lubricant improves the symptoms and signs of autonomic dysreflexia during bowel care in people with spinal cord injury.

Being tested
Lidocaine lubricant, Placebo lubricant
Keywords
spinal cord injury, autonomic dysreflexia, blood pressure, bowel care management, defecation
Medical subject headings
Spinal Cord Injuries, Autonomic Dysreflexia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Lidocaine lubricantDrug

    Also called xylocaine jelly (2%) AstraZeneca

    Subjects using this intervention will receive 30 mL of Lidocaine hydrochloride jelly (2%)

  • Placebo lubricantOther

    Also called AMG MedPro lubricating Gel

    Subjects using this intervention will receive 30 mL of placebo lubricant (no topical anesthetic)

Study groups in NCT01567605
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Lidocaine lubricant (then placebo)ExperimentalIn this arm, on the first test day subjects will use lidocaine lubricant in their normal bowel care routine (rather than standard lubricating jelly). After a washout period they will repeat testing with the placebo lubricant.
Receives: Drug: Lidocaine lubricant; Other: Placebo lubricant
Placebo lubricant (then lidocaine)Placebo comparatorIn this arm, on the first test day subjects will use regular lubricant (AMG MedPro lubricating gel) in their normal bowel care routine. After a washout period they will repeat testing with a the lidocaine lubricant.
Receives: Drug: Lidocaine lubricant; Other: Placebo lubricant

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Blood Pressure Change During Bowel Care

    Beat-to-beat blood pressure will be recorded using a finger blood pressure cuff (Finometer) on two occasions within 28 days, for up to one hour on each occasion.

    Measured: Measured continuously during bowel care (approximately one hour) on two occasions within 28 days.

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Duration of Bowel Care Routine

    The duration of bowel care routine will be recorded on two occasions within 28 days.

    Measured: The exact duration of bowel care will be noted on two days within a 28 day period

  2. Cardiovascular Symptoms During Bowel Care

    Cardiovascular symptoms will be recorded using a questionnaire on two occasions within 28 days. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The symptom score rated 13 measures (from 0-4) based on the frequency of symptoms experiences with a possible score ranging from 0-52. High scores denote more severe symtoms.

    Measured: Measured by questionnaire (approximately 15 minutes) after bowel care on two occasions within 28 days.

  3. Heart Beat Abnormalities During Bowel Care (Number of Participants With Heart Beat Abnormalities)

    3-lead electrocardiogram will be recorded throughout the duration of bowel care on two occasions within 28 days, for up to one hour on each occasion.

    Measured: Measured continuously during bowel care (approximately one hour) on two occasions within 28 days.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Mar 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startMar 2012
  3. Primary completionDec 2018
  4. Study completionDec 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
13 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01567605
Sponsor's protocol ID
2011s0593
Status last verified
May 2022
First submitted
23 Mar 2012
Last updated
8 Feb 2023
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Lidocaine lubricant in people with Spinal Cord Injury, run by Simon Fraser University at 2 sites in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Feb 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 8 Feb 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Blood Pressure Change During Bowel Care (time frame: Measured continuously during bowel care (approximately one hour) on two occasions within 28 days.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Feb 2023.

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